Mat for compression-boxes



M. B. GREEN. MAT FOR COMPRESSION BOXES APPLICATION FILED APR. 4.1916. 1,1 94,996. Patented Aug. 15, 1916. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

M. B. GREEN.

MAT FOR COMPRESSION BOXES.

APPLICATION ruin APR.4. l9l6.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

v LA

g mummiamuawlio'c MICHAEL B. GREEN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

MAT FOR COMPRESSION-BOXES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

Application filed April 4, 1916. Serial lid-88,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, MICHAEL B. GREEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Memphis, in the county of-Shelby and State of Tennessee, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mats for Compression- Boxes, of which the following is a speclfication.

This invention relates to oil presses, and more particularly to the mats to be used in connection with. the compression boxes of cotton-seed and linseed presses.

The present invention is an improvement upon the mat structure shown in my prior application #550,058, filed Sept. 10, 1915, and in common therewith is designed to produce a device whereby a maximum quantity of oil may be expressed from the cake in a minimum length of'time.

The general object of the present invention is to further and more fully overcome the objections to the old hair mat andperforated plate processes, and to attain the advantage of quantity, as in the use of a hair mat, without its attendant disadvantageof slowness of action, with the advantage of speed secured in the use of the perforated plate without its undesirable tendency to distortion under pressure.

The particular object of the present invention is to provide a construction which secures the use of a greater number of oil drainage and clearance passages without weakening the plate, and whereby a more etlicient discharge of the oilis secured with less liability of cloggingthe'passages.

With this and other objects in view, the invention consists of. the features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully Y described and claimed, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side'elevation of an oil press showing a number of theboxes in section. Fig. 2 is a top' plan-view of one of the boxes with parts broken away. Fig. 3 is'a detail longitudinal section looking sidewise at one of the bars. Fig. 4: is a detail transverse sectional view taken-on line -1PofFig. 2. Fig. 5' is a perspective view of' one of the bars. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the plate on-an enlarged scale.

Theoil' press consisting of the base 1, up rights :2, head 3 and ram plunger leneednot be specifically described herein, being well understood by those versed in the-art. The

press, as usual, carries a plurality of boxes, as indicated at 5. Mounted upon the base of each box and arranged to fit within the guide strips or upper half 6 of each box 5, are a series of bars 7 connected together by transverse rivets 8, or in'any other suitable manner so as to produce a unitary struc ture. The bars, with the exception of the outside bars, are constructed alike, therefore, a description of one will suffice for all. These bars are substantially rectangular in cross section and have in each side, adjacent to the top thereof, a semi-circular groove or channel 9 which, when the barsare riveted together as shown in Fig. a, act to form circular channels 10 of enlarged diameter so as to provide for the freeflow of oil, as will be hereinafter described. The upper part of the bars above the channels or grooves are formed with transverse slots 11, extending entirely across the same between the lateral faces thereof, and each of these slots may be approximately one-eighth of an inch in width and spaced a suitable distance from each other. The slots are'of such a depth as to terminate, preferably, slightly above the horizontal center of the grooves 9 forming the channels- 10, and open directly into adjacent channels. When assembled the slots of the adjoining'bars are in register, so.

that registering slots in adjacent bars will form a substantially .V-shaped' slot leading into the enlarged channel 10 formed by the grooves of the adjacent bars. Hence'the oil flowing intothe slots 11 will'pass freely downward into the channels 10 for discharge, and by extending the slots e11- tirely across the bars discharge passages of maximum size for the down flow ofthe oil are not only produced, but clogging or choking of the passages also prevented, thus insuring the free drainage ofi' of theoil as soon as expressed from the meal: It will" be observed thatthe bottom walls 12' of the slots 11' are V-shaped and have sloping sidesleading from a central point downwardly toward'the channels 9in the oppo'sitesides of each bar, whereby the drainage off of the oil is further promoted and ample clearage afiorded' to allow any particles of the meal'which may pass downward with the oil to flow off with it, whereby obstruction of the oil channels is prevented;

The construction above described" applies to all the intermediate bars, the" side bars being, however, of the same construction except that they are not provided in their outer sides with the grooves 9, and the outer surfaces of the slot walls 12 thereof are sloped toward the outer sides of said bars for the downward drainage of the oil upon the surface of the plate 5, from which it is discharged in any of the well known ways. The abutting edges of the slotted portions of the bars are preferably cut away at an inward and downward angle, as shown at 12, so as to provide clearanceslots or passages between such surfaces of the bars throughout their length, which slots or passages taper and gradually increase in size toward the channels 10 with which they communicate, whereby further provision is made for the free discharge of the oil and any particles of meal which may discharge therewith without liability of clogging the drainage surfaces and interfering with the discharge of the oil.

The bars are flat upon the upper surfaces and arranged to rest thereon, and secured thereto by four screws or lag bolts 13, one at each corner, is a mat plate 14. This plate has a longitudinal series of transversely extending corrugations 15 in the valleys of which are located separated series of apertures or ports 16, each series being positioned above one of the channels 10, whereby the oil flowing into the valleys of the corrugations will drain downward through the perforations and slots into the channels 10. By extending the slots 11 entirely across the bars and making each row of openings 16 equal in length to the slots of adjacent bars, it will be evident that a greater number of perforations or openings 16 may be formed in the plate 14 than would be possible if the slots were extended but partially across the bars, thus securing a greater amount of drainage surface without weakening the bars or perforated plate in any material degree. The holes 16 are preferably all tapered, and increase progressively in diameter downward, as shown, and these openings communicate with countersinks or channels 17 formed in the underside of the plate 16, and which register with adjacent slots 11, said slots and countersinks acting to increase the depth of the V-shaped slots, thus allowing a large amount of oil to be received at any time and drained off with great facility. By making the openings 16 of flaring form and providing these countersinks or channels in the underside of the plate 14, much greater clearance is afforded and provision made to accommodate any particles of meal which may be washed down with the oil and thus prevent the oil and meal particles from accumulating and remaining in the openings and the channels and clogging or choking the same and thus retarding the discharge of the oil. When the cakes are interposed between the mat and upper portion of the box and the ram operated in the usual manner to apply pressure, oil willpass through the holes 16, and into the channels or countersinks 17 and thence into the slots 11 and from said slots into lateral channels 10 on to the base of the box, being drained from the upper boxes to the lower boxes and into a suitable receptacle as is customary. The construction of the openings, slots and channels is such as to provide for the rapid drainage of the oil off from the surface of the plate, and the discharge of the gathered oil from the slots and channels with great freedom, while the form of the openings, slots and channels also prevents particles of the cake from wedging into the openings and accumulating at any point in the channels, while permitting any amount of the cake which passes downward to flow off with the oil, thus increasing the speed and capacity of the press. It will thus be evident that by the structure described a mat of maximum strength is produced which will withstand all stresses and strains and will not become distorted by pressure, while at the same time enabling as much oil to be expressed from a given quantity of meal as is customarily obtained in the use of the ordinary hair mat. The invention accordingly secures all of the ad vantages of a perforated plate, without the objections of the perforated plates heretofore in use, together with all of the advantages of the hair mat and without its objections. While the construction disclosed is preferred, it will, of course, be understood that modifications within the scope of the appended claims may be employed without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

I claim 1. A mat for oil presses comprising a plurality of bars constructed to produce oil discharge channels below the surface and between the lateral faces thereof, and having transverse surface slots extending across the faces of said bars and communicating with said channels, said slots having sloping bottom walls extending to the channels.

2. A mat for oil presses comprising a plurality of bars having grooves in the opposite faces thereof forming longitudinal channels, and transverse slots opening through their faces and communicating with the channels, said slots having their bottom walls arranged to slope toward the respective lateral grooves.

3. A mat for oil presses comprising a plurality of bars constructed to produce oil discharge channels between their meeting faces, said bars having transverse slots communicating with said channels, the bottom walls of the respective slots having surfaces sloping in opposite directions toward adjacent channels, and the meeting faces of the bars being provided with passages also communicating with the channels.

4. A mat for oil presses comprising a plurality of bars-having longitudinal grooves in their meeting faces forming oil discharge channels, and having transverse slots intersecting the grooves, the walls of the slots being arranged to slope in opposite directions toward the respective grooves and being highest at a point substantially midway between the grooves.

5. A mat for oil presses comprising a plurality of bars provided with grooves in their opposite faces forming oil channels, and having transverse slots extending entirely across the bars and communicating with adjacent channels, the bottom walls of the channels being V-shaped to provide surfaces sloping in opposite directions, and the meeting faces of the bars being formed to provide flaring passages communicating with the channels.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

MICHAEL B. GREEN.

Copies of this patent may .be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

